Monk List

If you thought the world of Belgian beer was easy to peg, well, You have to look for more than just the Trappist seal. Jeff at the Beervana Blog has compiled a helpful list that I know I will check back to in 2020.

Look at the rundown, right HERE.

Guin & Timm

I do not know when this beer came about, if it’s a retired beer or if it is being sold in the US but when I saw that Guinness spun two of their beers into a blend with Timmermans of Belgium, I really wanted it.  This Lambic meets stout is a mix of Guinness West Indies Porter (1801), Guinness Special Export (first brewed in 1944 exclusively for John Martin) and Timmermans Oude Kriek (the world’s oldest lambic brewery).

The description from the Timmermans website sounds delicious, “A unique dark beer with a subtle pink hue in the foam. Aromas of chocolate, oak & cherry. Full flavoured and beautifully balanced.”

Cans for Bernie

I was a bit floored when I saw that Rodenbach had gone to putting some of their beer into cans so the news that St. Bernardus was packaging their Wit into 12oz containers didn’t have the same surprise.

Hopefully, the Belgian wit cans will be in supply. Still have not seen Rodenbach cans in the buying wild as of yet.

Book Review – Trappist Beer Travels


There are some books that just make you thirsty and travel the next day to Belgium. Trappist Beer Travels is just such a book.

The conceit is simple. Visit each of the Official Trappist breweries, take a bunch of photographs and get the historical record of each. Oh, and try some beer.

The three authors do a great job of concisely telling the long histories behind each of the monasteries as well as giving you the info needed about visiting. The photographs really transport your there though, finishing the seduction. There are the requisite beer glass shots but also great views of the grounds and the brewing equipment.

You could say the book is a bit pedestrian. There are some personal notes included but this book isn’t about that or long-winded beer tasting notes. It isn’t a fancy windmill dunk of a book but more of a graceful layup. Half coffee table book and half reference book.

The Beers of Christmas – Day 8

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We land in Belgium and St. Feuillien and their Cuvee de Noel.

I consider this one of the beers that I associate with holiday drinking and their website describes it as a ….”beer has a generous head – compact and firm. Its slightly brown colour is the result of the roasted barley. It has a dark ruby brown colour and a very intense aroma. The aromatic herbs and spices used greatly enhance its delicious smell. This beer is full-bodied with a smoothness that is the result of the synergy of caramelised malts, carefully controlled fermentation and long cold storage. St-Feuillien Cuvée de Noël has a very subtle bitterness that is the dominant flavour in this harmonious ale that strikes a perfect balance between all the different ingredients.”

Cantillon-line

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Iconic and lauded Belgian brewers Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen have added their calls to action regarding the re-selling of their rare and special beers and have called on the government authorities to do something about it. Barring the ability to take down websites or at least tax the bejesus out of these sellers who really mark the prices up, the pair may try to institute online sales.

All in an effort to get these limited bottles into the hands of the people who will drink or cellar them instead of the scalpers. Maybe the Anonymous Collective needs to be called in too.

16 Years Later

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Old School Belgian brewers sometimes don’t get the press but I think that Brouwerij Rodenbach will. Why? They are bringing a beer back that was last seen 16 years ago!

Alexander is another in the vein of the Flanders red style like their Classic and Grand Cru. It is described as a blended version of the Flanders aged in foeders with sour cherries”.

Apparently the call for the beer’s return plus the demand in America is what prompted the return. So best buy some and they might make it a regular.

Dry hop that Cuvee

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You really can’t go wrong with Saison Dupont. The traditional saison is a hallmark of the style, their holiday beer is a perfect present for the beer fan and for five years they have been into Dry Hopping. Each year this special offering, brewed in limited quantity, is hopped with a different and usually under the radar hop. This year the hop “Minstrel” from England was the choice. Minstrel is an aroma hop with herbal, orange, spice and berry aromas.

Pick one or two up.

Beer in the Pipeline (Literally)

I gotta admit as both grand publicity and outside the box thinking, a beer pipeline from one facility to another is perfect. Whether in practice it works is another story.

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But if De Halve Maan gets this up and running and working without changing the beer, I would be rather amazed. My concern is about cleaning. If tap lines are problematic and need replacing, wouldn’t a pipeline need it as well? If it is just one base beer flowing things shouldn’t be too risky but eventually, that line will gather some strange critters.

I hope it works but some added quality control will be needed.